1:1 Repurposed Vinyl Art Show, Hot Guys Dancing, and Rock and Bach

Our top three picks of San Diego events this week

Tote bag painted by Lindsay Seligman

1 Sweet totes

Conservation and sustainability are within everyone’s reach, and for many, that means starting with baby steps. Sure, it would feel great to dump SDG&E and solar-power your way into the future, but Jonathan Zaidman, executive director of The 1:1 Movement, says there’s plenty you can do to get started.

“You don’t have to play hacky sac or have dreadlocks,” Zaidman says, invoking conservationist-slash-hippie stereotypes. “Any action you want to take will make a difference; riding your bike more, using a tote bag. Those things are good enough, to start.”

Simplifying sustainability issues is what Zaidman’s San Diego-born nonprofit (1to1movement.org) is all about. The organization spends time in classrooms—from kindergarten to college— discussing ways in which everyone can make a difference. One of the tools they distribute is a tote bag made from discarded vinyl scraps.

The totes are cool and all, but the paint job they’re getting will make them one-of-a-kind, utilitarian works of art by local talent, including Jimmy Ovadia, Lindsay Seligman, Olivia Bernardy, Simbiotek Design Lab. To snag one, you’ll need to place a bid at 1:1 Repurposed Vinyl Art Show, happening from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11, at Co-Merge (330 A St., Downtown).

The event is free, with hors d’oeuvres provided by Sea Rocket Bistro, plus there’ll be $5 craft brews by Stone Brewing Co. and Karl Strauss and $5 cocktails by Sessions Public. Zaidman encourages attendees to RSVP at 1to1artshow.eventbrite.com so there will be enough grub and grog to go around.

“Waste vinyl is durable, long-lasting and expensive,” Zaidman says of the materials 1:1 collects from a local printing shop. “These bags are manufactured by locals, distributed here in San Diego, all out of materials destined for a landfill. It’s a completely sustainable system.”

Proceeds will benefit the organization’s effort to make San Diego a greener and more culturally and economically vibrant place to live, Zaidman says.

2 Dancing kings

In this post-Magic Mike era, folks aren’t satisfied with an attractive man simply swaying on a dance floor. We got a taste of the sexy moves, and we want more. Providing just that, but with an element of beautiful artistry, is Hot Guys Dancing, a dance concert created and directed by Michael Mizerany of Malashock Dance Company.

It will feature six pieces, both new and revisited, choreographed by Mizerany, Blythe Barton, Keith Johnson, Anjanette Maraya-Ramey, Spencer Powell and Khamla Somphanh. And, of course, plenty of gorgeous men will perform them. Ogle at their physique and ability at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 11 and 12, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13, at Diversionary Theater (4545 Park Blvd. in University Heights). Tickets are $25 to $39. diversionary.org

3 Classic rock

Ludwig van Beethoven may have been the star of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, but Johann Sebastian Bach had a righteous cameo in the Bogus Adventure sequel, appearing beside Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin during a sound class taught by George Carlin. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, the string octet The Hutchins Consort will take that idea to its natural conclusion with Rock and Bach, which pairs Bach’s greatest compositions with songs by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Procol Harum and Queen. The instruments alone—scientifically engineered by famed luthier Dr. Carleen Hutchins—are enough to make a Wyld Stallyns air-whinny. The show’s at Qualcomm Hall (5775 Morehouse Drive in Sorrento Valley); tickets range from $50 to $75. hutchinsconsort.org

Does your event deserve to be in our top three? Email our events editor, Alex Zaragoza. You can also bug her on Twitter.